Cleaning Up Tire Debris from Florida's Gulf Coast

Pinellas County Government will remove and dispose of over 20,000 tires that were submerged as artificial reefs in the 1960s-1980s near Tampa Bay, Florida.

Type of Project: Removal

Region: Florida

Project Dates: July 2024 - June 2027

Who is involved?

With support from NOAA’s Marine Debris Program through Inflation Reduction Act funding, Pinellas County Government of Florida is removing and properly disposing of legacy tire reefs placed in five Gulf of Mexico locations off the coast of Florida throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. In partnership with Tampa Bay Estuary Program and Keep Pinellas Beautiful, this project is engaging the local community through education and outreach efforts.

What is the project and why is it important?

Throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, hundreds of thousands of tires were strategically placed in Gulf of Mexico waters as part of a larger effort to create artificial reefs. At the time, it was thought that tire placement would increase reef populations, promote tourism and fishing activity, and improve habitats for fish species with minimal economic or environmental costs. In the decades since their placement, many tires have come untethered due to saltwater corrosion, tropical storms, and hurricanes. Now a mobile form of marine debris, the tires can cause considerable damage to nearby seagrass and other important habitats. Unfortunately, after years of monitoring, scientists determined artificial tire reefs often have not improved fish populations as intended and the tires have instead caused significant environmental harm. Tires can leach toxic chemicals into the water and can degrade into smaller particles, contributing to microplastic pollution.

Pinellas County Government is addressing the problem of the tires and pollution in the Gulf of Mexico by removing over 20,000 tires near Tampa Bay Estuary and off the coast of Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Florida. Once the tires are removed, the partners will explore alternate options to disposing of the tires in landfills. The tires will be converted into usable energy at a local waste to energy facility, or will be shredded for recycling. Pinellas County Government is tracking all tires through the waste to energy cycle and directly measuring their energy output.

To engage the Tampa Bay community, Pinellas County Government, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, and the Tampa Bay Estuary Project are delivering printed materials to residents and schools, sharing project updates through media channels, and offering education and outreach activities. By sharing project successes and communicating the economic and ecological benefits of the restoration effort, Pinellas County Government is promoting the prevention of future marine debris.

This project is removing an estimated 525,000 pounds of marine debris, engaging the community in marine debris prevention through collaborative education and outreach efforts, and helping nearshore ecosystems recover from a decades-long pollution issue which will directly benefit the local coastal economy and natural resources.

For more information about this project, visit the Marine Debris Program Clearinghouse.